Warner Bros. Embarrasses Self, Everyone, With New “Disc-to-Digital” Program

[MV64]

The "scandal" here isn't that they're providing this service for a fee, but that they are providing the service at all while saying doing it at home is illegal.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by Ninjalawyer

Even at no-dollars it would still be too much, unless you value your time as worthless. I don't get in my car and drive down to a Chapters to get my ebooks, and I'm certainly not going to waste my time going to a store to get a digital copy of a movie I already own, in an inferior format/quality to what I could get if I bothered to rip it myself.

WB's proposed system is basically asking me to pay money to have my time wasted; it's about as far divorced from the reality that the rest of us live in as it's possible to be.

The reason I'd pay a nominal fee is that I DO value my time--I'd have to first teach myself how to strip the DVDs--I don't know how to do that. So I see the system as a way to save some time, if it's priced low enough.

Seems like it's the same as paying for a paper book to e-book conversion--I'd weigh the price of the service against the time it would take to do it myself.

[Rhialto]

Originally Posted by Catlady

The reason I'd pay a nominal fee is that I DO value my time--I'd have to first teach myself how to strip the DVDs--I don't know how to do that. So I see the system as a way to save some time, if it's priced low enough.

Seems like it's the same as paying for a paper book to e-book conversion--I'd weigh the price of the service against the time it would take to do it myself.

This is the old and weak "I don't want to fish because it would take too much time to learn" excuse. Someone who has a need for this service and wants to process more than 1 or 2 DVDs can probably learn how within 15 minutes by using a google search as a starting point. This is less time than it would take to drive to the store (and better for the environment).

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by Rhialto

This is the old and weak "I don't want to fish because it would take too much time to learn" excuse. Someone who has a need for this service and wants to process more than 1 or 2 DVDs can probably learn how within 15 minutes by using a google search as a starting point. This is less time than it would take to drive to the store (and better for the environment).

Well, golly gee, I guess I'm just stupid then. Thanks so much for pointing that out.

[Bilbo1967]

Originally Posted by Rhialto

This is the old and weak "I don't want to fish because it would take too much time to learn" excuse. Someone who has a need for this service and wants to process more than 1 or 2 DVDs can probably learn how within 15 minutes by using a google search as a starting point. This is less time than it would take to drive to the store (and better for the environment).

Isn't the choice to learn how to do something yourself or pay somebody else to do it for you purely a personal one?

I recently paid people to paint my house, despite the fact that I actually could do that myself. So what? That was my choice and I stand by it as valid.

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by MV64

The "scandal" here isn't that they're providing this service for a fee, but that they are providing the service at all while saying doing it at home is illegal.

This.

[tubemonkey]

I've already beat the movie studios. I no longer buy DVDs. I stream movies from Netflix and various free sites. If the movie I want isn't available at these sites, then I don't watch it and continue searching until I find one that is.

There is no such thing as a must watch video, must read book, or a must hear song. There are always other choices.

Monkey consumer 1; digital providers 0

[GreenMonkey]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

But it would be totally unnecessary service if not for the DRM that they themselves chose to use.

The only reason there isn't an incredibly easy-to-use DVD 'convert for iPod/iPad' option in iTunes is because of the DRM and the DMCA.

This is exactly the problem. DRM is holding back technological innovation and fair use. Imagine if CDs were copy protected and you couldn't rip them to play on mp3 players. How much longer would it have taken for ipods and mp3 players to take off?

You should be able to buy a DVD player or a DVR with a DVD drive that rips your DVDs for you and stores them on an internal HDD. Or itunes should be able to rip the video and put it into itunes (for you itunes people). Etc. It shouldn't take any tech saavy whatsoever (just like ripping CDs with itunes or other audio programs takes almost no effort).

But thanks to DRM and the DMCA we have none of the convenient, easy programs or devices that we have for music and for CDs.

Instead, you drive your car to a store where they will convert it to some DRM'd files that you can play on some devices. While insisting if you use software for the same task, it's illegal. That's brilliantly moronic.

[teh603]

Originally Posted by GreenMonkey

Instead, you drive your car to a store where they will convert it to some DRM'd files that you can play on some devices. While insisting if you use software for the same task, it's illegal. That's brilliantly moronic.

Its not moronic, its surprisingly capitalistic. After all, we're in a system where the only thing that matters is the C-level executives' greed, and how many politicians they can buy off to keep the masses down and ignorant.

Anyway, what they're doing is like that car company (Scion?) that put tamper sensors in their cars' engines so any "unauthorized" activity under the hood would make the car unable to start. Naturally, unauthorized activities include changing the oil and replacing the battery and plug wires- which are all things you're normally able to do in your driveway. Or how Windows 8 is likely to be non user serviceable; to install updates, the Check Computer light comes on and you have to pay $100 to Geek Squad for an OS ROM flash.

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by teh603

Its not moronic, its surprisingly capitalistic. After all, we're in a system where the only thing that matters is the C-level executives' greed, and how many politicians they can buy off to keep the masses down and ignorant.

Anyway, what they're doing is like that car company (Scion?) that put tamper sensors in their cars' engines so any "unauthorized" activity under the hood would make the car unable to start. Naturally, unauthorized activities include changing the oil and replacing the battery and plug wires- which are all things you're normally able to do in your driveway. Or how Windows 8 is likely to be non user serviceable; to install updates, the Check Computer light comes on and you have to pay $100 to Geek Squad for an OS ROM flash.

You also have to see the other side of the coin. We sell machinery and quite often the customers try to have some third rate hack repair the electronic control elements. They substitute parts with the wrong specs, or do a lot of other stupid things. After that doesn't work people come back to us and complain about problems they are having and expect us to take care of it. And unlike for consumer products you depend on repeat business and cannot just tell them "forget it, just buy a new one".

So I can at least feel some sympathy with some attempts to prevent "unauthorized" access for physical goods. It often means a lot of additional service costs that you cannot charge for.

[teh603]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

You also have to see the other side of the coin. We sell machinery and quite often the customers try to have some third rate hack repair the electronic control elements. They substitute parts with the wrong specs, or do a lot of other stupid things. After that doesn't work people come back to us and complain about problems they are having and expect us to take care of it. And unlike for consumer products you depend on repeat business and cannot just tell them "forget it, just buy a new one".

When the warranty expires, do you multiply the cost of repair by three or five the way a car dealership does? And does that include doing work that a "third rate hack" can do successfully and reliably, like changing the oil?

So I can at least feel some sympathy with some attempts to prevent "unauthorized" access for physical goods. It often means a lot of additional service costs that you cannot charge for.

Nope, still no sympathy.

[MovieBird]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I've already beat the movie studios. I no longer buy DVDs. I stream movies from Netflix and various free sites. If the movie I want isn't available at these sites, then I don't watch it and continue searching until I find one that is.

There is no such thing as a must watch video, must read book, or a must hear song. There are always other choices.

Monkey consumer 1; digital providers 0

I do the same thing, as I'm extraordinarily price sensitive.

Monkey/Bird Consumer 2; Digital Idiots 0

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by MovieBird

Monkey/Bird Consumer 2; Digital Idiots 0

[spindlegirl]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I've already beat the movie studios. I no longer buy DVDs. I stream movies from Netflix and various free sites. If the movie I want isn't available at these sites, then I don't watch it and continue searching until I find one that is.

There is no such thing as a must watch video, must read book, or a must hear song. There are always other choices.

Monkey consumer 1; digital providers 0

Karma points headed your way for this post.

[spindlegirl]

Originally Posted by GreenMonkey

While insisting if you use software for the same task, it's illegal. That's brilliantly moronic.

It's about companies wanting to seize control over what you do with a product after you buy it, wanting you to basically pay over and over again for the same thing. A bizarre form of planned obsolescence.

To me, modifying something you already own is no different than baking your own chocolate chip cookies instead of buying them from the store. If I am doing something myself, I don't need the service.

I own the thing, it's mine, the original seller can just buzz off.